Wilmington resident David Ross’ quest to run the Boston Marathon as a fundraiser for one of its many nonprofit partners turned out to be a more perfect match than he expected.

While most have to meet qualifying standards for Boston, the annual race reserves hundreds of spots through groups aiding health and social organizations. The 2013 marathon raised more than $7.8 million in that regard.

A Wilmington attorney, the 42-year-old Ross was interested in making Boston his first – and perhaps only – marathon.

“If you’re only going to run one marathon, Boston is such an epic experience,” said Ross, referring to Boston’s history, as April 21 is the 118th edition of the world’s oldest annual footrace.

“And that was before last year,” Ross added, referring to the two explosions near the Boylston Street finish line that killed three and maimed many others. “It would be such an incredible experience to be a part of watching the city bounce back.”

Ross researched the nonprofits with marathon slots and settled on the Joe Andruzzi Foundation.

Andruzzi, a former offensive lineman with the New England Patriots, was involved in cancer-related fundraising even before being diagnosed himself, in 2007, with non-Hodgkin’s Burkitt’s lymphoma. He received a clean bill of health later that year and has remained cancer free, but the Joe Andruzzi Foundation grew from those experiences.

The 47 people running Boston for the Joe Andruzzi Foundation are dubbed “Team JAF,” which last year raised $172,000. Participants are on pace to raise more than twice that amount this year. Links to Ross’ fundraising page may be found at http://joeandruzzifoundation.org.

Proceeds are aimed at reducing the financial burden for cancer patients and fund pediatric brain cancer research at Boston Children’s Hospital.

“I was looking for something I had a personal connection with,” said Ross, whose sister, Jennifer, had battled thyroid cancer. His wife, Debbie, also had several family members who dealt with the disease.

Two weeks after enlisting with the Joe Andruzzi Foundation for the Boston Marathon, Ross learned his mother, Linda, had lung cancer.

“That gave me an even stronger connection to the cause,” he said.

Linda Ross is doing very well after surgery and “has a really good prognosis,” David Ross said. She’ll complete her treatment soon after he runs the marathon.

The parallels have provided considerable perspective and motivation.

“We’re both going through this journey,” said Ross, who has run several half-marathons, “but she had the far greater challenge. It makes my training seem rather trivial.”

Ross will be joined by his mother, sister, wife and their two sons – Bennett, 11, and Carter, 9 – in Boston. He’ll tackle the rolling 26 miles and 385 yards from Hopkinton to Boston and soak in the applause while knowing the difficulty is well worth the attempt.

“I can’t see walking away from Boston with it being anything but a great experience,” he said.

Spare preps for ‘Death Race’

Last summer’s Spartan Death Race didn’t kill Jason Spare’s spirits, even though he was unable to finish one of the toughest organized tests of human endurance.

Undeterred, the 44-year-old Christiana Care nurse is ready to give it another go this June.

Only 41 of more than 300 entrants managed to finish the three-day test. Spare lasted about 60 sleepless hours in the dense wilderness of Pittsfield, Vt. He needed to endure another 10 to 12, he estimates.

“I came so close last time,” he said. “Last year was me seeing what I could do mentally and physically.”

The Spartan race involves traversing huge areas of heavily wooded, hilly ground while having to perform a series of physically laborious tasks. Last year’s first endeavor quickly weeded out some competitors, who had to build a stone staircase up the side of a mountain. It took 24 hours.

Then came a deforestation project in which competitors had to cut and carry wood and move rocks. Spare was penalized for stopping to fill his water bottle and exiled to a cabin, with about 20 other penalized participants, for various manual labor. After that came a crawl through a ravine covered by barbed wire and an area where heavy objects had to be moved underwater.

Later, after a portion when entrants had to bunny hop up the side of a mountain and memorize – and later recite – questions posted on trees, Spare had had enough. His body was working. His brain was shot.

“It’s just a mental game,” said Spare, who recently competed in a snowshoe marathon and has several GORUCK events upcoming as he preps for his second try. “I feel a lot stronger – mentally – and I know what I can handle.”